Safety razor sharpener



Dec. 15, 1931. o. w. BOCHE SAFETY RAZOR SHARPENER,

Filed Aug. 17, 1928 IIIIIIIIIIII Patented Dec. 15, 1931 isaaeea a. 1? is.

o'r'ro ,w. BOCHE, or rnanenroar', ooivn orIoU'r,

SAFETY RAZOR siannrnnnia} Application filed An rams. SeriaI no.,sc'o,sea.

This invention relates to a sharpener for safetyv razor blades, and hasfor an object to provide a simple and improved device which may beoperated'by any one unskilled in the sharpening of razors to properlysharpen the blades evenly on both sides by the simple operation ofmanipulating a hand crank.

. It is also an object to provide a device of this character of astructure which will re quire'only a small space and may be easilycarried, and which may be manufactured and assembled at low cost.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of thischaracter in which the sharpeningelements may be easily and quick 1yrenewed without the use of special tools.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists incertainnovel features of construction, combinations and 29 arrangementsof parts as will be more fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawings. In these drawings,

Fig. 1 is a. longitudinal vertical section through the devicesubstantially on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig; 2 .is a vertical transverse section through the forward end of thecasing showing the interior mechanism in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view with the casing re- I 39 moved. I

Fig. 4 is an end elevation thereof looking from the left of Fig. 3 butshowingthe base; in section. r

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the top of the casing showing the meansfor holding the blade. v Fig. 6 is a detail partial section and partialelevation showing the mounting and construction of thesharpening'rollers.

Fig. 7 is a transverse section substantially on line 7 of Fig. 6. IFig.8 is a detailed section substantially on line 88 of Fig. 5. I Fig; 9is a longitudinal section through the blade holder showing how a bladeof the Gillettetype is held, and i Fig. 10 is a transverse section onanen la rged scaletaken substantially on line;1010 ofFig.9.

The structure illustrated comprises a sheet are preferably paper tubesonitheoutside of 9 I metal base- 10 on which the mechanism. is mounted.This mechanismincludes a lower frame 11, and an-upper rocking frame 12"whichis pivoted to-the upright side members 13-and'1'4 'of the lowerframe, this pivot being the'main' drive shaft 15 which is journalled inthe sides 13and '14 offthe lower frame. The lower frame 11 may be madeof sheet metal bent to substantially U-shape, and may benotchedat itsopposite ends, as'shown at 16; so that its base portion 17 may beslidlong1tud1'-- nally under ears or'strips 18fwhicharecut I from the base10 and forced upwardly." These ears '18 have a certain spring'action"which firmly grips the edges of the base portion 17 ed and holds theframe in position. g' f The upper or rocking frame 12is ofs'ubstantially inverted U-shape so thatits end members arepivoted on theshaft '15. One of its'end members 19 isezitended downward- 1y to a pointadjacent'the lower end of the'f' frame 11 where it ispivotallyconnected, as shownat 20,, to 'aflat spring 20 secured tof the'roclring or canilevrQlQ and the side of the lowerframe' may have an"elongated' curved siot 22 :0 give clearance'to the inner? end of thepinQO. The lever 2i ispmaa; to the frame member iiby'a pivot 23,;maths-1 downwardly extending member 1 9 of the 11pper frame has an"elongatedslot 24tlii'oughf I which this pivotextends so that lthe pivotwill not interfere with the rocking move ments ofthis frame 12. lMountedinthe upper or is a pair of sharpening rollers 25' and 26.13These rollers are arranged in parallel rela tion and extendthrough anopening 27, in'the' top horizontal memberiof the frame. These' rollersmay be of any suitable material but 5 I which thesharpening mixture isapplied, or they may bemadeof some other material cov ered with leather,canvas, paper or other 1 suitable material on which this'mat'e'rial is"applied." The tube is mountedonmetal caps '95 2s and 2s"- inserted'inthe ends of the'tubes.

andhaving reduced necks29 andB Otoire ceive the shaft 31;. "Securedjjtoone'e'nd of this shaft is a gear .32 which operates the shaft Thecylinder is secured to the shaft srriac i'j roclringframe 112 3 i thetwo caps with the lugs 33 seated in the so as to turn therewith by meansof lugs 33 struck up from the shaft and adapted to seat in notches orslots in the neck of the cap 28. In assembling, the roller withthe twocaps in position is placed between the sides of the frame 12 and theshaft 31 is passed through openings in these sides and through notchesin the reduced end 30. A stepped collar 34 is placed on this shaftbefore it is inserted and forms a bearing for the shaft in the sidewallof the frame 12. A washer 35 is placed on the opposite end of theshaft outside the side member of the frame and the whole assembly issecuredin position by a cotter pin 36. Itwill be apparent that the user,even though unskilled in mechanics, may

easily remove these rollers should they be come worn or 1n ured andinsert a new roller, 7 all that IS necessary being to remove the cotto!" pin and withdraw the shaft which will permit removal of the roller;

The main drive shaft 15 is operated by 'means of a hand crank 37 andcarries a gear 38which meshes with one of the gears 32 on v the rollersand drives the other roller through i an idler 39.. The gears are.soarra-nged that the turning of the crank 37 to the right or clockwise,as'viewed in Fig. 2, will rotate the right hand roller '25 to the leftor counterclockwise and the left hand roller to the right or clockwise.In other words the upper sides of these two rollers move toward eachother. i r This also desirable to give the rollers a longitudinalmovement as well as a rotary v movement to more. nearly simulate theaction used in hand stropping the old style of razor. For this purposethe collars 28 at one end of the rollers are each provided with' agrooved pulley or wheel 67 set atan angle to theaXisof the rollershafts, as shown in Figs. 3and 6. A stud 68 is mounted on the frame. 19and carries a cross pin 69 which 4 projects at its opposite ends in thegrooves in the pulleys .67", Thus due to the inclined arrangement ofthese pulleys the pin 69 causes the rollers to slide longitudinally backand forth on the shafts 31-as these rollers 1 rotate. the slots in, thecollars 28 for the lugs .33 and these lugs being made long enough topermit this movement.

On its inner end the shaft 15 carries a cam'40 which is engaged on itsopposite'sides by the sides of a fork 41 carried onithe rock 'ing lever21. This cam is preferably provided with a somewhat flattened surface 42on oneside so that as it rotates it will alternately disengage fromthesides of thefork and cause a dwell or rest in the movements of therockinglever at the two extremes of its rock- 7 ing movement.

Theenti-re mechanism is enclosed within a sheet metalfcasing 43 which ispreferably 1 open at the top andbottom. At its lower end it is providedwith outwardly extending flanges 44 which may slide under upwardlyextending ears 45 and 46 cut from the base 10. Each of the flanges 44has a notch 47 suitably spaced from one end so that the cas ing 43 maybe placed over the interior mechanism with the ear 46 passingthrough'the notches 47 in which position the other end of the flange 44will be to the right of the ears 45, as viewed in Fig. 3, then bysliding the casing to the left the long portions of the flanges 44 passunder the ears 45 and the short portions under the ears 46securing thecasing in the proper position on the base. This movement is'limited by astop lug 48 engaging the flange 49 in the side of the casin and a s rincatch 50 en a 'in the 07 b b b b -The upper end of the casing is elosedby cap or covertlwhichxfits the top of the casing and is held byfrictional engagement therewith. This top I may be. formed,'as shown inFlgs. 1 and 2, or as shown in F igs.

5 and 8.; As .shownin Figs. 1 and 2,, the

top has a slot 59 and a slit 6O spaced to one side thereof. A holder 61of sheet metal is rolled overatits free end to form a circus lar springclamp 62 open at ts under slde.

A spring clip 63 is foldedupon itself to re-, ceive the blade 57 betweenits side portions and if thebla de has a guard 58 this. guard isenclosedin the curved or folded portion" of the clip, the blade beingslid in from one end. 7 Theclip and blade'is now slid intogthe curvedhead 62 ofthe holder from one end}. thereof and a tongue 63 on thisholder .is"

inserted in the slit 60 and lies against the 1 under side of the coveras'shown in Fig.2. The blade is now held in the upright position betweenthe sharpening rollers 25 and 26, as

shown inFig. 2. If the Gillette type of blade with a double edge and noguard 58;

is tobe sharpened'it is held, as shown in Figs. 9 and. 10. The sidesofthe clip 63 are provided with openings '64 toalign with the openings inthe blade 66 and one set ofthese' openings 64 are rolled orforcedinwardly,

as shown at 65, to extend into the openings.

in'the blade and cooperate therewith tohold the blade in the clip. Theclip and bladeare now inserted in the holder which is mounted in the topof the casing the same as shown inFig.2.

As shown in Figs. 5 and top is'iforined I with a. slot and one sideofthis slot is rolled over to form ahead 52., A similar head :53

formedon a sliding clamp 54 which is,

mounted on the under side of the cover and is adapted to move back andforth toward and from the bead 52, the bead 53 extending outwardlythrough the slot in the cover;

to be sharpened, the protecting clip 58 acting as a limit stop toprevent insertion of the blade too far into the holder.

The operation is as follows: The handle 37 and the cam 40 are so placedon the shaft that when the handle is down or in its lowest position theupper wall of the frame 12 is substantially horizontal so that therollers and 26 are on opposite sides of the slot for the razor blade inthe cover. The razor blade may now be inserted, as shown in Fig. 2 or asshown in Fig. 8, with its cutting edge downward, and as the rollers arein the neutral position this insertion of the blade in po- SlblOD. willnot drive the sharp edge against the rollers to either out the rollersor injure the blade. The spring 56 clamps the blade between the beads 52and 58 and the tendency is to retain it in the upright or vertical positic-n, while the holder 62 also holds in the upright position. The crank87 is now turned to the right or clockwise which will rotate the rollers25 and 26 in opposite directions, and at the same time the pin 69 actingin the gro ed wheels 6'? will slide the roll crs back orthlongitudinally of he razor blade, givi a combined rotary andlongitudinal movement to the rollers. it the same time the cam acting onthe sides of the fork ":1 on the cam lever 21 will rock this lever backand forth and through it and spring 20 will rock the casing 12 about onepivot shaft 15. This moveiincnt will alternately bring and press therollers 25 and 26 against the opposite sides of the sharp edge of theblade, the spring 20 yielding suliiciently to hold the rollers with theproper pressure against the blade. At this time a dwell or rest isalternately permitted the frame 12 by the fiat 4-2 on the cam so thateach roller will remain for a short time against the edge of the bladeas it rotates, and the rollers will alternately, uniformly and equallysharpen the opposite sides of the blade. The pressure of the rollersagainst the opposite sides of the blade is controlled by the spring 20.his action, therefore, yieldingly presses the rollers against the bladewi the desired pressure for the sh arpo alien and the combined rotaryand longitudinal movement of the rollers gives a stropping actionclosely simulating the hand stropping given to tae old style of razor.

It will be apparent from the foregoing scription th at no skill isrequired in sharpening the blades,all that is necessary'being to' insertthe blade in the clamp and then turn the crank for a few revolutions.This operation will automatically sharpen both sides of the blade,andtheoperation on the two sides will be uniform and equal. The devicemay be used on a table, or it maybe secured to. a, be held in the handwall or shelf or it-may desired.

Having thus not invention, what 1 cat claim is 1. In a sharpener forsafety razor blades, a

U-shaped support, an. inverted lJ-shaped frame pivotally mounted on saidsupport,

a pair of sharpening rollers mounted on said rame, a lever connected tosaid frame, a shaft, means for operating the shaft, a connection fromthe shaft to the lever for rocking the lever, means for supporting arazor blade between the rollers, and driving connections from the shaftto the rollers.

2. In a sharpener ior safety razor blades, a

forth the. nature of I support, frame pivotally mounted on said support.apair of sharpening rollers mounted on said. frame, means for supportinga blade to be sharpened between the rollers, alever connected to saidframe havinga fork, a

shaft, cam on the shaft in said fork to rock said lever in oppositedirectionsto bring the rollers. alternately in engagement with the bladeand having a flattened portion on one side to cause a dwell at theextremes of the rocking movements wh en the respective rollers are incontact with the blade, and a-driving connection from the shaft to therollers.

3. In a sharpener for safety razor blades, a support, a frame pivotallymounted on said support, a pair of sharpening rollers mounted v on saidframe, a lever connected to said frame through a spring adapted to yieldinopposite directions, said spring forming a yield able drivingconnection. from thelcver to the frame, shaft, means, for operating theshe ft,

a connection from the shaft to the lever for rocking thel8VQ1,.Df1-32L11S for supporting a razor blade between the rollers, anddriving connections from the shaft to the rollers.

4. a sharpener for safety razor blades, support,'a frame mounted forrocking move ments on the support, a pair of sharpening rollers, a crankfor operating the rollers and rocking the frame, a casing enclosing therollers and frame having an elongated opening in its top wall. a bladesupport on the said top wall including a spring clamp to hold the bladeupright between the rollers, and a. spring in the frame rock ng meansforming yieldable driving means for the frame to yieldingly press therollers against'a blade between the rollers. 7

5. In a sharpener for safety razorblades;

means for supportingthe blade, a'pair ofsharpening rollers, means forrotating the rollers 1n opposlte directions including 1 a shaft in eachroller, a lug projecting from said shaft, a collar about one end of saidshaft'supporting said roller, said collar having a slot therein toslidably receive said lug thereby forming a splined connection betweensaid roller and said shaft, means for causing relative lateral movementsbetween the blade and rollers to cause contact of the rollersalternately onv opposite sides of the blade, and means for causingrelative longi- V tudinal movement between the rollers and the bladeincluding a collar about the other end of each shaft a grooved Wheelmounted at the other end of each shaft at an oblique angle thereto and afixed stud projecting into said groove.

In testimony Whereoi I afiix inv slgnature.

orro W. Boone.

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